Magic's Pawn: The Last Herald Mage, Book 1

In Magic's Pawn, an ancient age in the history of Valdemar comes to life - an age when the kingdom was ravaged by the ungoverned fury of bandit warlords, ferocious ice dragons, and the wild magic of wizards. A new addition to Lackey's Valdemar kingdom - and her most powerful series to date!

Finally Getting To the Classics!

I must admit - I probably have worn out 2 or three paperback versions of this series, as well as the Arrows of the Queen series (of which only book on..Show More »e is currently available for audio.) I remember my introduction to Misty Lackey, at the last convention she attended (Dragoncon 2000 - and therein hangs SEVERAL tales, but) - this is the first series I read where there was a protagonist who makes you cry and makes you laugh, and makes you feel the plight of the outcast so comprehensively that you CAN"T read only the one book - start one and before the week is out - you will be hunting down book 2 and 3 to finish the story off.

Fair warning - Vanyel is gay. Now, having MET Misty and Mark Shepherd (who sometimes co-writes with her) - I've sometimes wondered just how much of Mark is IN Vanyel - but she doesn't make it into a big deal. (She never really does much in the way of romance in her early works, and while the series DOES skew PG - I don't think Misty's ever written an "R" rated sex scene - and if you want X - look elsewhere.)

Magic's Promise: The Last Herald Mage, Book 2

The wild magic is taking its toll on the land, and even Vanyel, the most powerful Herald-Mage to ever walk the world, is almost at the end of his strength. But when his Companion, Yfandes, receives a call for help from neighboring Lineas, both Herald-Mage and Companion are drawn into a holocaust of dark magic that could be the end of them both.

Magic's Price: The Last Herald Mage, Book 3

The Herald-Mage, Vanyel, and his Companion, Yfandes, are alone responsible for saving the once-peaceful kingdom of Valdemar from the forces of a master who wields a dark, forbidding magic. And if either Vanyel or Yfandes falters, both Valdemar and its Herald-Mage must pay the ultimate price.

excellent

A favorite of mine. The story of a man that survives, a rough youth and into a love that surmounts all, to the horrible loss of that love, and being ..Show More »given his greatest desire of his youth, before he learned what he really desired. His survival and giving of his life in to selfless acts of honor, through the pain that stays fresh to the finding of a new life, to his death. That sums all three books. This is the final installment of those books. Now take that man's story and put it in a world of magic and magical creatures, of life by the sword, in serving a cause greater then yourself. Amazing story

The narrator was perfect. He brought the characters to life, the world to life and even managed excellent pronunciations of strange words in non existent languages, I wish he narrated all the books. but then perhaps it is the fact that he portrayed Vanyel so well is some of the reason he is so good.